“Despite the measures the customs and the border guard have been undertaking, they still cannot stop the drug flow, crossing Kazakhstan’s borders,” he said. Thus he confirmed as not groundless Russia’s claim that “most drugs get into the country across the territory of Kazakhstan.”

Besides, he said, following the withdrawal of the international coalition’s forces from Afghanistan, the situation with drug supplies from that country to the CIS countries may only aggravate. While speaking about the measures the interior ministry had been undertaking, the minister said over the past year the customs and border guard services prevented about 3,200 crimes related to illegal turnover of drugs.

“We have revealed about 2,000 cases of sales, over 100 cases of drug smuggling. We have confiscated 23.3 tonnes of drugs, including 136.3 kilograms of heroin,” the interior minister said.